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Compare then the pains which you employ, the vigilance which you exercife, the anxiety which you feel, concerning worldly objects, on the one hand; on the other, concerning religion. When you hear your friend flandered or your parent injuriously treated; you are moved with indignation, you are diftreffed and afflicted. When you hear the name of God profaned; are you more deeply grieved? When you perceive Him to be flighted and infulted; are you more feverely troubled in your heart? If not; you do not give the firft place in your heart to God. You do but diffemble with him when you-profess that you love him above all things.

Again. When you receive a kindness, a great and an undeferved kindness, from a friend; you feel, I prefume, warm and durable emotions of gratitude, and an earnest defire to render to your benefactor fuch a return, in proportion to your ability, as may be acceptable to Him. You are receiving every day from God bleffings infinitely fuperior to all the kindneffes, which can be conferred upon you by any of your fellowcreatures. Do you feel then still more lively and durable emotions of gratitude to Him? Do you feel a ftill more earneft defire to render to Him through Christ that acceptable tri

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bute of faith and love and holinefs of life, which his grace is ever ready to enable you to offer? If not; you do not give the first place in your heart to God. You do but diffemble with Him, when you profefs that you love him above all things.

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Again. Your worldly prosperity is an object which you pursue with industry and folicitude. Are you ftill more diligent, more anxious, in pursuing the welfare of your foul? Are you more earnestly bent on growth in grace, than on the accumulation of property? Are you more eager to advance in religious knowledge, than in knowledge which will enable you to augment your wealth? Are you more watchful to feek for religious friends and connections, than for those which may forward your present intereft, or that of your family? If not; you do not give the first place in your heart to God, You do but diffemble with Him, when you profess that you love Him above all things.

Again. You have various occupations to which you refort, as opportunities offer themfelves, from inclination and choice. Among these is religion to be found? Does religion stand at the head of them? Do you delight in the study of the fcriptures? Do you delight in public worship; in its adorations, its prayers, its praises, its thanksgivings? Do you delight

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in commemorating the atoning death of Redeemer at his Sacramental table? Do you delight in meditations upon God; upon his goodness and mercy; upon falvation through Chrift; upon the hope of dwelling with Him in holiness and happiness hereafter? Do you delight to converse privately with your family or with a Chriftian friend, on thefe fubjects? Do you find all other pleasures and fatisfactions uninterefting and dead, when compared with those which have religion at their root? If not; you do not give to God the first place in your heart. You do but diffemble with Him, when you profess that you love Him

above all things.

I will mention only one example more. When you are informed of the events, which befal another perfon, you rejoice, if they are fuch as promote his worldly advantage; you lament, if they impair it. Do you experience greater joy, when you are affured of his advancement in religion? Do you experience greater forrow, if you learn that he has gone backward in the ways of righteousness? Do you judge of all changes in the fituation of a perfon for whom you are interested, principally by the influence which they seem likely to have on his religious profpects? You hear that he has entered into the state of marriage.

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Are you more

Do you at once feel more folicitous to enquire whether his wife be fteadily pious; than whether she be of fuperior understanding, accomplished, and rich? He removes to a diftant part of the country. grieved to learn that he is thrown into the hands of companions calculated to endanger his falvation; than to be informed that his new place of abode will probably be deftructive of his health? He has loft his child or the wife of his bofom. Are your prayers that his affliction may be fanctified more fervent than thofe for its removal? You ponder on fchemes and labour in exertions for his benefit. In all your plans, in all your efforts, are you more anxious to be made the inftrument of strengthening him in faith and good works, than of forwarding his temporal fuccefs of guarding him from those evils which war against the foul, than from thofe which affault the body? If not; you do not give to God the first place in your heart. You do but diffemble with Him, when you profess that you love Him above all things; that all which the Lord your God commandeth, you

will do.

IV. My brethren! a part at least of the words of the prophet, as delivered in the text,

is applicable to your conduct this day. By presenting yourselves in this houfe of God, you have in fact faid to his minifters, Pray for us unto the Lord our God; and according unto all that the Lord our God fhall fay, fo declare unto us and we will do it. "Offer up "unto God on our behalf the fupplications "recorded in the liturgy of our church. And " in your difcourfe from the pulpit, explain

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to us from the word of God our duty as "Chriftians, and we will perform it." Whether the remaining words of the text, the charge which Jeremiah pronounced against the Jews, Ye have diffembled in your hearts, be alfo applicable to you, is a queftion which it is not mine to decide. The truth is known to the Searcher of hearts. It is open and naked before the eyes of Him from whom no fecrets are withdrawn. It is difcoverable by you: by every one for himself. Examine yourselves, when you are returned to privacy at home, by that fcriptural rule, which I have ftated and endeavoured to exemplify for your

inftruction.

Accompany that examination with humble prayer for the grace of the holy Spirit; that he may enlighten your underftandings, awaken your confciences, and enable you to judge fincerely and impartially whether your hearts are ftedfaft with God,

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